The Snedden M7 is a new type of fixed wing ultralight aircraft that is more exciting, powerful, stronger, and safer and is equipped with a new type of people friendly control system. The Snedden M7 is truly the ultralight reinvented with many new features, concepts and look that defy comparison to any other aircraft or ultralight vehicle. The M7 ultralight is now undergoing flight tests. This revolutionary new ultimate thrill machine has a 3 second ground roll, awesome climb angle, high maneuverability and controllable straight ahead stall characteristics with no tendency for wing drop. People fly for fun and the Snedden M7 is number one!

The 254 pound maximum weight limit is the most defining element, and of greatest concern and challenge in the development of an advanced ultralight. This is something that I take very seriously and am very enthusiastic about in the development of the revolutionary M7 ultralight using strict logical design guidelines, selection and development of the lightest and strongest structural design concepts, ingenuity and numerous innovative special features. The M7 is a very durable, cable braced, four wheel, float optional, complex low aspect ratio mid wing, semi compact, short take off ultralight design with upsweep wing tips, an unmistakable large inverted V-tail equipped with anti-servo flaps, a (3) three second ground roll and a very steep climb angle with the wing chord at 45 degrees to the horizon. The M7 is a two blade tractor (70 inch diameter Powerfin “F” type with 2.6:1 cog belt reduction) powered by the 65 HP, 6300 RPM, Hirth 3203, dual ignition, 625 ccm two cylinder in line, two cycle, oil premix, air cooled engine with Al-Nikasil cylinder bores, dual carbs forward slanted and reed valves.

As impossible and wild as this may seem to most of you out there, this new benchmark extreme fun machine completely conforms to FAR 103 and A/C 103-7 and in some very advanced and safety enhancing ways. No other type of fixed wing aircraft construction can offer the extreme power to weight to strength ratios that are perfected in the Snedden M7 advanced ultralight. The M7 will play a very important part in elevating ultralight aviation to becoming the peoples best and only choice in personal recreational aviation and in becoming the worlds greatest power sport. It is widely believed that 40 HP is the maximum achievable engine size without going over weight in fixed wing ultralight designs currently available. It takes about 25 horsepower to just get that ultralight into the air and the remaining 15 HP is all that is left for serious climb, turning and maneuvering especially in any down drafting air. The Snedden M7 has a serious surplus of 40 HP (65-25=40) which is 2.7 times greater than 15. The thrill will seem 10 times greater to the ultralighteer and to onlookers who will take notice of the visibly exciting new era in aviation that is only possible with such perfected ultralight construction and design. Faster airplanes cannot use such light weight high strength construction due to wire noise and drag which are negligible at ultralight speeds. For this and many other reasons airplanes or light sport aircraft will never compete with the thrill of the M7 ultralight design. The Snedden M7 is the first new or fourth generation ultralight flying vehicle whose specification, capabilities and features will foster a new thinking and defining of reality about personal recreational flight in a language that speaks to a much greater percentage of the population.. The M7 will mark the beginning of a trend in personal aviation that will overwhelmingly favor advanced ultralights, where aircraft selection will be based on vehicle purpose, comparative data, the vehicles specifications, performance, maneuverability specifications, (minimum turn radius, angle of climb, power to weight ratio, etc.) fun ratings, minimal regulations, costs (purchase, training, storage, maintenance, fuel), personal schedules, storage and flight area types and access, etc. . The M7 raises the bar and establishes a new benchmark not just for others in the ultralight industry, but for those considering light sport airplanes and airplanes where people essentially fly for fun rather than piloting for business purposes.

General and eventually Light Sport aviation will become a rare novelty unobtainable by the masses as it succumbs to reality, expiration of its aging participants, higher costs, excessive regulation, tighter personal budgets and schedules and other constraints (such as confinement to limited capacity airports far from home and the vastly greater appeal of future ultralights).

Due to many factors, future ultralight vehicles, portable hangars and practices under development will offer affordable, safer, spectacular got-to-have performance from a vastly greater number of more convenient and varied locations away from airports, providing phenomenal growth potential and many other benefits to a whole new generation of ultralighteers. I believe that advanced or fourth generation ultralights will emerge as the people’s only and best choice for a practical personal recreational flying vehicle in the spirit of flying for fun, which is the reason we all fly.

The M7 is a more exciting, natural and direct integration of the human spirit into the sky.

The M7 ultralight offers the most power from a standard unmodified engine, most strength, durability, maneuverability, versatility, fun and more for low weight, regulation, constraints and costs.

The Snedden M7 ultralight is the most exciting flying machine for the most people.

MORE DETAIL

The Snedden M7 Ultralight is computer aided designed around the body and sole of the ultralight pilot. He sits in the middle of the vehicle closely positioned to the center of gravity and the powerful thrust line. The low hung, minimal view obstructing narrow in line inverted engine and other potentially injurious heavy components are in front of the pilot. A Magnum full aircraft recovery rapid deployment ballistic parachute (rocket projectile deployment) is located directly behind the pilot. The rocket will stay attached to the canopy and no slider is used that might delay deployment at low ultralight altitudes.

A transparent instrument panel is adjoined to the main frame and a well positioned windshield that is attached to a densely cable braced rigid quadruple king post pyramid superstructure that encompasses and protects the pilot from above offering unprecedented protection in advent of numerous crash types especially the inverted type. Inverted negative G flight is not allowed in the M7 without modifications although the basic airframe appears very substantially strong in the negative G environment. The fuel system and current prototype lower wing surface cover would need some modifications.

The pilot seat is very light, strong and is rigidly suspended by a network of cables and webbing straps that are geometrically positioned and tunable to provide maximum impact absorption again from a variety of impact directions. The pilots weight load is initially borne by a long ungusseted span of the M7’s twin (left and right) thick walled rectangular root tubes whose flexibility not only provides additional suspension cushion, but two feet of injury saving vertical impact absorbing travel in the advent of say a full stall or parachute landing. During bottom impacts that are vertical, near vertical or are full side wing tip impacts, the rectangular root tubes should yield at an ideal rate as the pilots shoulder belts (which too have yielding yet secure barber pole attachment geometry to the pilots upper fortification system) begin to progressively carry the pilots weight also tending to keep him upright.

Other injury reducing structural features are: Wing cover attachment to the twin root tubes which will protect the pilot from inward root tube deflection; Densely cable braced wings (internal, above and below); Densely cable and strut braced broad rear and front axles that are very integral to the wing (leading edge and trailing edge trusses) and to total vehicle structure (in providing the lowest, lightest, strongest leading edge and trailing edge trusses) as well as providing substantial protective structure and crash buffer distance from the pilot (especially for tree top landings). The exceptional strength of the M7 is related to ideal design geometry and a perfected dimensional scaling that allows the use of short, thick walled aluminum tubes and optimized design of all connection points. The M7 uses cable braced wings as they are well proven to offer the lightest and strongest possible wing for ultralights.

The M7’s design is very ideally suited for airbag restraint systems and from multiple directions including pilot suit mounted systems where the pilot could become a mars robot type lander without Part 103 weight penalty.

Although usually at rather slow speeds and hopefully often at little or no injury, ultralights crash or have bad landings often enough to warrant the safest possible design. In terms of crash protection the M7 has no competition. Study the Snedden M7 structural geometry, design, proportions and dimensions and it will be clear why it is safer and so strong, light and powerful.

The M7 is originally designed as a flying test bed for ultra compact engine designs exceeding 200 HP that are currently being studied for ultralight use only. This is one of the reasons that the thrust line, pilot and vehicle centers of gravity must be more aligned. Hence climbing in and out of the M7 is more difficult but well worth it. With the planned low cost inflatable float kit, the Snedden M7 can be fitted with several currently available engines that have over 100 HP for a serious 75+ HP surplus and still comply with FAR Part 103 and A/C 103-7. This configuration would be designated Snedden M10. The M7 alone is beyond the comprehension of other companies. Surplus power to weight ratio equals safety and fun. What is yours?

The M7 is equipped with four wheels for many good reasons beyond just allowing the lowest, most compact cable braced ultralight design. It provides the four (4) necessary super hard mounting points necessary for dual pontoon ski floats. The four wheels make the vehicle handle like a go cart and improve landing and ground handling safety making a tip over less likely. Other reasons are classified at this time.

The M7 is equipped with a revolutionary new user friendly type of aerodynamic control system that has great natural appeal to new pilots. This may be the greatest new invention of the M7. It is a hands on 3-axis handlebar type pitch, roll, and yaw action aerodynamic control system which has a right hand motorcycle twist throttle with in-flight adjustable resistance and left hand rear brake lever. Note that in conventional fixed wing aerodynamic control systems the handles (stick or yoke) are only 2 axis and the yaw (left/right turning/pivot) action is limited to the rudder pedals and in a direction that is opposite and contrary to human instinct and nature. The M7 also has foot pedal control that pivots about a inclined steering axis with a slight roll just like a tricycle with heel pressure front wheel steering and independent toe action (ankle motion) redundant pitch and yaw control and thus some aerodynamic roll control. The handle bar directions conform to that of most all of today’s modes of transportation and give the pilot the feel that his hands are directly gripping each wing from behind. It is a true joy to fly. The two multi axis foot pedals (although not really needed) follow this same direction which conform to the human foot pressure directions required for turning for walking, running, skating, snow and water skiing, sleigh riding, tricycle, crawling, etc. Note that this natural foot pressure or pedal direction is opposite to that of what new airplane pilots are intimidated into believing. Conventional stick or yoke and rudder airplane control systems are very abstract and far removed from the human nature and do not instantly tell the student that he or she is one with the aircraft and sky especially in some ultralight vehicle types that require a lot of rudder action. With training a student can be fooled into believing that they are learning a good control system. It continues to amaze me that such flawed control systems continued unnoticed for so many years or no company or designer had the courage to correct things. This is one of the many reasons that general aviation has been DOA for a hundred years considering that so many people dream of flying and yet way less than half of one percent (rounds off to zero percent) actually practice personal and general recreational aviation. Thus now when the sky is becoming abandoned, an empty slate, it is now a good time to make a badly needed fix. No other control system is as versatile as in the M7 and provides the most natural and delightful human to fixed wing flight interface. I quickly abandoned use of the pedals (except for ground steering) because I found it so easy, precise, delightful and natural to use the three (3) axis handle bar control in conjunction with the horizontal finger rest and orientation beam. It does seem fun to use the multi axis foot pedals for the whole body control feeling but the handlebars alone seems superior.

Existing CFI’s and all other pilots cannot safely convert to this new system without some rehabilitation in the form of special simulator and/or flight training. Cross training or piloting from the Snedden type of control system to any of the other existing types is not safe or desirable. This new control system renders conventional yoke or stick and rudder pedal control systems incorrect and obsolete. This new control system is needed now more than ever since more (virtually all) new ultralight student pilots cannot find ultralight instructors or ultralight training vehicles due to the 2008 EAA/FAA ending of all ultralight specific flight instructors and the permanent grounding of most all real two seat counterpart ultralight training vehicles. Such vehicles expose pilots to the real shock experience and thrill of flying with no floors, doors and such and other real ultralight flight characteristics in real ultralight flight and maintenance environments that cannot be properly or economically taught in a LSA that likely has little visual or performance resemblance to the ultralight that a student pilot wisely chooses to solo fly. Visual shock, wind, noise, rapid onset of stall, adverse yaw, intense low level ground turbulence, adverse roll in cross wind gradient, rough uphill landings, crow hopping, etc… The FAA and EAA refuses to acknowledge these incompatibilities (that is clear to other people) which discourages training completion or in most cases crushes ones dream of flight.

Taking kids for rides in expensive SUV type airplanes that they cannot see over the instrument panel of and will never be able to afford is not a real answer to preventing the steady decline of actual airplane pilots. It’s like feeding a starving kid candy bars that will never taste as good or be as fun and affordable as an ultralight. A kid would have to rob a bank to pay for an airplane or LSA, but banks no longer have that kind of money LOL. Any money that banks have is money that was already robbed from our children.
As of January 31, 2008, unjust, excessive FAA regulation prevent development of a two seat counter part ultralight training vehicle.*** As of January 31, 2008 the FAA unjustly and recklessly ended all ultralight specific flight instructors. Alternate non prohibitive (non FAA) methods of Snedden M7 control training is being developed in secret.

A new people friendly control system is essential to the future of personal recreational aviation. The extreme versatility of such system was tested very aggressively during a 20 minute first test flight where the test pilot a USUA BFI (basic flight instructor) with no training in the new control system or in such ultralight type, negotiated some adverse (later corrected) conditions and landed perfectly.

The M7 is not for someone interested in Zulu time, excessive regulation or other B.S. Ultralights do not cross time zones or have radios or fly into those few places where anybody cares about Zulu time LOL. The Snedden M7 is a short range ultra thrill machine where you may insist on departing with no more than two gallons of fuel. The rule of 278 Pounds (includes the 24 pound chute allowance) and Stronger and More Powerful, dictates that this type of vehicle must not use any conventional four stroke engine. They spend half their time sucking wind, under powering and weighing down an otherwise great vehicle. The new generation of two stroke engines with direct fuel injection into the combustion chambers pollute less than any four stroke, use less fuel than any four stroke (verified by the current line of Evinrude outboard engines and other company’s that use advanced DFI two cycle engines). Two cycle engines will without any question blow any four stroke out of the sky. Four strokes work ok in lawn mowers and are well developed for geriatric airplanes and LSA. Their best use however is for melting them down and making two good two stroke engines. LOL Ultralights are the funnest type of flying machines and the 254 pound weight limit dictates that two cycle engines must be used for many reasons.

The M7 ultralight is invented and designed to provide the highest level of excitement to the largest or broader percentage of the able income population for a new and larger generation of flyers that are younger and healthier. For those with tight schedules who seek extreme sports in less time with less fuel, and from more convenient, practical and varied locations. For those from the various motor powersports such as motocross, motorcycling, all terrain vehicles, jet skiing, boating, etc. and from other extreme sports such as hang gliding, parachuting, bungee jumping and bicycling too. The M7 ultralight is for those who grind against and with the daily realities and want something more exciting. The Snedden M7 Advanced Ultralight – The Ultimate Sport.

RESTORE ULTRALIGHT FLIGHT TRAINING CONTINUED…

I envision a future where FAR 103 vehicles will dominate the sky despite the terrible blow dealt against ultralight SPECIFIC flight training by those partial to the dwindling general aviation aircraft. The EAA/FAA elimination of ultralight specific flight instructors and presenting unacceptable alternatives with the hidden motive of forcing conversion to, promoting and profiting from their own failed brand of traditional aviation was most inappropriate and may prove to be the most unsafe legislated setback in personal aviation history. It’s amazing how much the EAA/FAA can extensively legislate its wealthy member, medically questionable pilots the right to take uninformed passengers for rides in tremendously heavier, under powered wannabe airplanes of obstructed view design, without ultralight type full aircraft recovery parachutes. In the very same mega piece of LSA legislation they unnecessarily, recklessly and conveniently bump off all essential ultralight specific flight instructors and most two seat ultralight flight training aircraft while denying single occupant feather weight ultralights a little number change weight increase that could lead to windfall advances in personal aviation that are not possible from general or light sport aviation. It is a gross example of dying special interest influence attempting to assimilate the most promising competing concept while causing suppression, harm, and death. January 31, 2008, a day that shall live in infamy. In a single arbitrarily selected moment, hundreds of aircraft were rendered destroyed, hundreds of freedom seeking pilots and true ultralight flight instructors condemned to the earth with no acceptable possibility to rebuild or replace. Leaving thousands of people never to find ultralight flight training and experience real ultralight flying at its best.

As a result most states are now deprived of any accessible ultralight flight instructor base and are deprived of the various essential real two seat ultralight counterpart training aircraft where the student is willingly and desirably exposed to real ultralight conditions and environments that will best and most economically teach real ultralight flying for his particular ultralight and encourage follow thru to completion of any structured training program. The USUA training program worked well. Now there are only lies and bull shit.
The LSA legislation may serve a very small niche of the population usually for the senior GA airplane pilot (generally a member of the EAA) medical loophole. It did make ultralight flight instruction inaccessible in Ohio and in surrounding states, despite the false and misleading information provided by the FAA /EAA. A dedicated ultralight specific instructor base and proper training aircraft as existed before must be restored to ensure real ultralight flight training which will prove to be the future of personal recreational aviation. I get too many calls from all of Ohio and surrounding states from people unable to get ultralight lessons and not in LSA wannabe airplanes that leave them much poorer and ill prepared for flying a ultralight in the non airport true ultralight environment. The FAA insists on remaining belligerent of this fact and rightfully so since their salary and their jobs depends on maintaining a deliberate denial of the facts and their dreadful mistake. Their disinformation scam is disgraceful, dangerous and represents a major all time 20 year locked in setback to any affordable future for personal recreational aviation. LSA is just another GA joke that should have never been linked in any way to ultralight flight instruction or its essential two seat counterpart training aircraft.

After over a hundred years of aviation history, the mid and lower altitude sky remains virtually bone empty and abandoned. The year 2008 may mark the largest decline of all types of aviation in the USA despite the fact of the deliberate EAA/FAA 2008 cultural cleansing against the ultralight future, industry and its jobs. The ultralight industry, ultralight community and its organizations such as the USUA (not the FAA/EAA) offers the most realistic opportunity for the largest possible segment of the population (by several orders of magnitude) to enjoy the best of personal recreational aviation.

LSA offers nothing affordable to the vast majority (100 percent rounded to the nearest percentage point) of the population or to those involved or interested in ultralight aviation. LSA is DOA. To 100 percent of the population the EAA/FAA should just promote UFO (flying saucer) aviation and sales. LOL. I have no problem with elitist people making up two seat aircraft categories far heavier than single seat ultralights and realistic two seat ultralight counterpart trainers, to suit themselves and wealthy, aging medically questionable special interest and in promoting a failed brand of aviation, obsolete aircraft designs, training criteria, etc…. but when they use their influence to leverage and deny important freedoms, training aircraft and ultralight specific safety training away from others at the grass roots level that is unrelated to LSA, then it is inexcusable, illogical and something to be very opposed to. Change can be good, but change is bad when it is truly bad. Many people for years saw us citizens guided into the current energy and economic crisis. Is it not clear that our countries greatest playground has been cleansed empty despite 100+ years of technical improvement? We were first in aviation and will be first out of aviation if we don’t claim the sky back. The 2008 elimination of all ultralight specific flight instructors and all ultralight specific training aircraft by the FAA and special interest was the single largest blow in history to the future of personal recreational aviation.

Any successful business or venture can be brought down or destroyed by a few unqualified or bad employees. To the true ultralight industry, that being one not trying to market more expensive SUV type LSA aircraft, the EAA/FAA has demonstrated itself to be very much influenced by special elitist interest and is blind and ignorant of the future of personal recreational aviation, the realities of real people who want to fly and what such aircraft should look like. They have become ignorant of the importance of ultralight two seat counterpart specific flight training and indulged in exercising a cultural cleansing of the sky. They have become adversarial, threatening, bullying, controlling against the strong human desire to indulge in personal recreational flight. They choose to eliminate ultralight specific flight training for the only type of flying vehicle that is the only and best choice for the largest percentage of the population. At most they present a bait and switch option that tends to force people into less exciting more expensive failed brands of aviation. Numbers, Charts and Graphs could be created to show that the FAA and those special interest who promoted LSA should be fired and permanently removed from any involvement in aviation and especially from any further negative influence on personal recreational aviation. Thanks to the FAA it is now easier to get UFO flight lessons in Ohio than real ultralight two seat counterpart lessons for the various types of single seat ultralights. Of course I and everyone trying to get ultralight flight lessons must be wrong, because the FAA has never saw a UFO and insists that UFOs do not exist, thus it must be easier to get ultralight flight lessons as they insist. If you travel too far at risk of changing weather to pay too much for training in a bait and switch boring airplane like aircraft that has little resemblance and flight characteristics of the ultralight you want to fly, and train at a bait and switch airport environment that leaves you ill prepared for real ultralight places/environment, then good luck with your dream of flying cause it ain’t gonna git much better except in the lies that the FAA employees must present to protect their jobs that they should be removed from.

The sky first belongs to the free spirits who are courageous enough to take advantage of and enjoy its vast abandoned emptiness and who set the example for people to look up and be inspired by something they themselves may be able to do some day sooner than later. It is those free spirits who brought aviation to us on a bicycle shop budget and more than anything, it was only possible because there was no FAA who tend to suppress, control and overreact for safety ( keep we the people on the couch in front of the TV ). FAA employees work mainly to expand and protect their jobs.

The sky belongs first to the free spirits because it is only they who can develop the means for real people to achieve the life enhancing thrill of flight. This is not found in general geriatric aviation or light sport wannabe airplanes whose aircraft are too expensive or as exciting as a ride in an elevator when compared to the flight of the Snedden M7 and later the M10 ultralights and beyond, where the boldest aviation development and actual flight testing is dedicated to providing the most exciting type of personal recreational flight to the largest possible percentage of the population. We think that this is more noble and important than providing rides to high altitudes for the few wannabe elite.

“Those who are willing to sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither” Benjamin Franklin
“Why would anyone try to make an ultralight look like some airplane?” Andrew Snedden
“Be bold and intrusive” Sirini
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter.” Anonymous

We have tooled for and are contemplating building ten slightly improved vehicles in the future with a few of them designated M10 with 100+ HP, inflatable floats and certified 103 legal. All will have cog belt reduction, in flight adjustable pitch propeller hubs with Powerfin “F” blades and Magnum ballistic recovery parachutes.

For the short term there will soon be inward facing LH wing tip cam video to show the constant 45 degree wing chord angle to the horizon during full power climb as well as showing an angle of attack indicator on the opposite (RH) wing tip. Also shown in the same view will be the new user friendly control system (best feature) and its actual interactions with the control surfaces and vehicle attitude response. Very exciting stuff.

IMPORTANT

Flying is dangerous. You fly at your own risk and always presume that you could be injured or killed before or after you leave the ground. The M7 is to be treated as a loaded weapon. Snedden Manufacturing assumes no responsibility to anybody for anything that could happen. The pilot and/or vehicle owner is wholly responsible for his or her safety, their heirs and that of other people and property.

Pilot error is the leading cause of accidents. Specialized M7 specific ground and flight control training is highly recommended. All current pilots and CFI are not qualified to instruct in the best use or operation of the Snedden M7. Currently only Andrew Snedden USUA BFI is the worlds only pilot qualified to fly the Snedden M7.

The Snedden M7 ultralight is not an airplane or a LSA (light sport aircraft). The M7 is not a high efficiency long or medium range transportation vehicle. That is what cars are for. The Snedden M7 is the ultimate short range extreme fun flying machine designed to offer the most flying thrill to the most people.

We welcome any suggestions, opinions or criticism about anything pertaining to the M7 ultralight or information in this website. Send comments to andy@sneddenm7.com